OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — While San Francisco is hosting the NBA All-Star game, events are taking place all over the Bay Area, including Oakland.
“As we’re preparing to welcome an increase of visitors throughout our city, we are here to keep our residents and those visitors safe,” said OPD Deputy Chief Casey Johnson.
At a news conference Wednesday, Oakland police said they are staffing up for an influx of visitors for the NBA All-Star events in the East Bay city.
“It’s going to be more than high visibility. There is going to be targeted enforcement,” said OPD Assistant Chief James Beere. “If you come into our city, do you victimize any of our community members or businesses or people that are coming here to enjoy the festivities, we will arrest you.”
While San Francisco’s Chase Center is center stage for this weekend’s main event, numerous events are taking place at the Oakland Arena, including Friday’s NBA Celebrity Game. As a result, Oakland police will be using a multi-agency approach that involves help from the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
On Wednesday, OPD announced the department is opening its emergency operation center, and sending an officer to San Francisco’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to allow for better communications. OPD is also increasing the amount of officers on the streets.
License plate readers, ShotSpotter technology and, if needed, drones will also play a role in keeping the city safe.
“Technology is a game-changer for us. Because as our resources have suffered, technology has kind of taken that place, and we will leverage that to its tilt this weekend to basically target the people that are committing the crime,” Beere said.
In terms of paying for all of this extra overtime at a time when the city is in a nine-figure budget deficit, Oakland police say the NBA will help pick up the tab.
“We’d love to have a full complement, but we can’t look what we can, but we’re working with our partners, and part of that was reaching out to the NBA, saying, ‘Hey, you’re having these events. We’re going to need you to assist us in that because of the situation that we’re in,” said OPD Chief Floyd Mitchell. “So that’s part of it is working with our partners and those the people that are hosting these events so they can help us with the financial load that comes with it.”
OPD says we will start seeing that uptick in officers for NBA All-Star weekend beginning on Friday.
OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — While San Francisco is hosting the NBA All-Star game, events are taking place all over the Bay Area, including Oakland. “As we’re preparing to welcome an increase of visitors throughout our city, we are here to keep our residents and those visitors safe,” said OPD Deputy Chief Casey Johnson. At a […]
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